Dick Smidgin is a motivational keynote speaker whose services
have been sought by many top international companies. Dick firmly believes that
success in business is purely down to positive mental attitude and his techniques have
helped some of the world's most successful achievers. In this special feature, Dick
has taken time out from his busy schedule to provide us with a unique insight into his
philosophy and methods.

The Thoroughfare of Success

by Dick Smidgin (BA) - Motivational Keynote Speaker

What do we really mean by targeted motivational short-term direction objectives?

It's a straightforward enough question, isn't it? And yet, as I travel the country
speaking to different audiences, I am inevitably met by silence whenever I bring it
up. So let me put it another way: considering a multi-layered framework of
aspirational enablement factors, how far along the attainment scale do we wish to project
our multi-phased career resolutions?

Be honest with yourself now.

Can you
really say that you have given the matter serious thought? Certainly, we all want
success - we are all, in effect, prospective goal-achievers - but how many of us can claim
to have mapped out our future accomplishment nodes in respect of a ratified timescale of
empowerment? Very few, I suspect, and yet it is precisely this kind of forethought
that separates the successful goal-achievers from the disappointed also-rans.

Living your life, but better

So Dick, people say to me, you're clearly a successful man but how exactly can I
formulate my own attainment strategy and realise my unique potential?

Well let me
tell you - the secret of being a successful goal-achiever is no secret at all! It's
simply this - get to know yourself. Have you ever stood in front of a mirror and
looked at the person you see there as if you're meeting them for the first time?
Have you ever spoken to that person, asked about their state of health or complimented
them on their hat?,/p>

No? Well give it a try, you might be surprised!

One of the things that I suggest to the people who come along to my seminars is that
they take themselves out for a drink. In the relaxed, comfortable environment of
their local bar, many people find that the barriers soon come tumbling down and they are
able to really get to know themselves. I know it sounds a bit strange, but give it a
go and see what happens! Sometimes it's only by holding a conversation with yourself
within a neutralistic social situation that you can discover the real you.

And it works! I have literally several examples of people who have benefited from this
technique. Many of them have got into the habit of going out with themselves on a
regular basis, and some lasting friendships have been formed.

For instance, one man
told me that after getting into a fascinating conversation with himself one night at the
Grosvenor Bar in Weatherby, he discovered to his amazement that he had a passionate
interest in trains. Not only did he find this revelation fascinating, but it also
helped to explain why he spent so many of his weekends hanging around in railway stations.

Turning a negative into a positive

Once you're confident about who you are, you can start to give serious
consideration to your achievement parameters. In particular you can formulate a
positive attitude to solution positioning in respect of upgrading your problem-solving
capabilities.

Sounds like a mammoth task, doesn't it? And yet it is only
really a question of conquering your fears. Consider these two choices.

The Leopard of Jeopardy
The Rabbit
of Opportunity

At first glance, the Leopard of Jeopardy appears to be the most
problematic obstacle. Its cruel, heartless stare is supremely intimidating, and its
sharp teeth suggest a hostile, unilaterally destructive personal interface possibility,
with the additional likelihood of dismemberment repercussions.

On the other
hand, the Rabbit of Opportunity appears to allow for the relatively easy deployment of
basic soft-skill negotiating techniques, with the fallback option of a programme of carrot
appeasement, should things turn nasty.

But look more closely and you will see that
the leopard is clearly stuffed and the rabbit has a flick knife. It is in instances
like this that fear can cloud solid business sense and cause us to neglect a proper system
of eventualization assessment.

A formula for success

So, what have we learned? Well, we know who we are. We know we
must meet problems head on. But are there any other qualities that we need?

There certainly are. No successful goal-achiever would be able to maintain peak
levels of attainment without knowledge of the twin pillars of Confidence and
Adaptability. Or, as I like to express it:

Confidence + Adaptability = Confaptability

This is absolutely essential if we are to remain capable of functioning within a
constantly fluctuating business environment. Remember - change is here to stay.

But
is confaptability impactful enough to encompass high-plateau achievement goals? The
answer, unfortunately, is no. Would that it was that easy. The successful
goal-achiever must call upon something else - Imagination.

Put simply,
Imagination is our central powerhouse, enabling us to make the commitment to invest
sufficient time-energy into our chosen attainment fields. Without Imagination,
we're knackered, as Plato once said. And how right he was. After all, if Plato
had never had Imagination, would he have been able to do all that clever thinking and
stuff? Almost certainly not. Thus we must incorporate imagination into our formula:

Confaptability + Imagination = Confaptabination

And this is really the key to successful goal-achieving. If you take nothing else
away with you today, at least remember this: if you want to be the best, and you want to
beat the rest, then Confaptabination's what you need.

Where are we going?

Where are we going, indeed. And equally as important: are we nearly there yet? We
may know who we are, what we are capable of and we may be equipped with our formula for
success, but there is one more important factor to be considered - Orientation. We
need to know that we are heading in the right direction, that we have a clear path mapped
out in front of us and that we've packed enough sandwiches for the trip.

Try looking at it this way. Consider a mountain climber - he may be technically
accomplished, resilient and determined, but in order to be truly successful he needs to
know in which direction he must climb. By and large, most successful mountain
climbers know that in order to reach the top of a mountain by the most direct and
efficient way, they need to head in an 'up' direction. Any mountain climber who does
not properly consider this before he sets out is likely to go wandering off into a valley
or something and make himself look a right tit.

Go forth and succeed!

And so, in conclusion we must recognise that success is about nothing if not
direction. We must decide on our destination, pick out our route and plan for all
eventualities. Remember, the Thoroughfare of Success is only a few short streets
away from the Avenue of Obscurity. Let's all make sure we study the map.

If you would like to book Dick Smidgin for your conference or training seminar, he can
currently be contacted at his mum's house - except on Wednesday evenings, because it's his
bath night.